Retail, Wholesale Marijuana Businesses Approved In Metuchen

METUCHEN, NJ – Metuchen recently joined other NJ townships in approving retail and wholesale marijuana businesses to operate in the borough.

During the Oct. 24 meeting, Metuchen passed an ordinance conditionally permitting class 3 wholesale businesses and class 5 retail businesses within certain zoning districts.

All other classes of recreational marijuana businesses are prohibited.

Marijuana businesses will not be allowed along Main Street, between Middlesex and Amboy avenues and along South Main Street.

Wholesale cannabis businesses will be permitted in the north west Light Industrial Zone

Cannabis businesses that wish to operate in Metuchen will have to pay a $2,500 application fees and a $15,000 annual license fee.

All marijuana businesses in Metuchen will be conditional use, meaning they will have to go before the Planning Board and neighbors will be notified of public hearings.

Hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and customers are prohibited from queuing outside the facility. The cannabis facility cannot be situated within 200 feet of a K-12 school, and no product or paraphernalia should be visible outside the facility. On site consumption is also prohibited.

During the meeting, Council President Jason Delia gave a presentation on the steps the council took that led to the decision to permit marijuana retail.

Delia noted that Metuchen opted out of permitting sales of marijuana in June 2021, due to lack of state guidance.

“We really thought about this a lot. We wanted to make sure we did it in a way that was Metuchen,” Delia said.

Councilman Tyler Kandel said the ordinance was one of the most discussed and "incredibly thoughtful."

“This is not easy stuff to figure out what makes sense in Metuchen and what doesn’t," Kandel said. "I think we have common sense restrictions in this ordinance that will set us up for success and a revenue stream that will help out budget.”

To see the council presentation, click here.

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